[Title is tentative...]
Far in the future, in a land distant, there lies a kingdom... a nation in which a paranoid monarch sits on a silver throne, in which lords perpetually find themselves locked in political contests, and in which magic is dead - a lost art and a mere legend. A once powerful domain has been worn thin, guided by an entropy that has saturated itself into all of its institutions and people. The king struggles to hold his land together while rooting out rebels and those men of power who would plot against him, whether they be real or imaginary. Whispers are shared in the lords' halls, cryptic murmurs sowing seeds of revolution. What they do not realize is that revolution would mean the death of this nation and its people...
The land in which this kingdom lies is not a particularly friendly one. The majority of the landmass consists of plains and desert, with rivers and bodies of water typically found long distances apart, though they are close enough to reasonably justify settlement. A mountain range acts as a natural wall, lying along the entire north border of the kingdom. To the west lies a sister nation which has long since collapsed and is currently undergoing reformation, so it is not uncommon for refugees to cross the western border and enter this kingdom (commonly known as the Eastern Wastes in other countries, though this is a slight exaggeration). In the remaining directions, there lies only sea. All exploration attempts to the east have ceased, as every ship ever sent out in that direction has been lost. To the south, there are multiple island chains, though these only seem to house natives deemed "savage" by those more civilized.
As for settlements within the nation, there are few large, established cities. Near the center of the country lies the capitol city, Hudllerion. Hudllerion is the center of commerce and also houses the king's castle, though it has become more of a symbol than a fortress as of late. The rest of the kingdom consists of small counties that are constantly changing in size and population due to political conquests of the residing lords. However, there are three recognizable and reputed cities that are worth noting - Aeddial, shortly east of the capitol, surrounded by desert and known for being tolerant of a significant non-human population, that of the Anwarder*; Minydsail, a popular spiritual haven at the base of a large mountain in the north, containing a very large monastery housing the Wermaen monks**; and Cyrtiur, a city of craftsmen, musicians, and orators. Aside from these, the rest of the major settlements in the Eastern Wastes are typically just super-developed villages, not really resembling a city, with wooden gated walls and crude trenches surrounding as a means of deterrent. They typically have a village center where a hall would lie if a lord resided there. The population typically lives in relative poverty, with common merchants and craftsmen being the wealthiest out of the lower class. Aristocrats and nobles tend to live comfortably, though not necessarily extravagantly, with lords (obviously) having the most wealth.
The national language is Isellfar, much derived from the language of the ancients (whose ruins still lie, standing tall on the plains or in the flat expanses of desert), Urddiath. The Anwarder typically speak Isellfar, though most can speak and write their racial tongue, Oddanwar. The scripts for Isellfar and Urddiath resemble runes with many curved lines, while Oddanwar boasts a rigid and very linear writing system somewhat similar to some Asiatic systems. Literacy rates are roughly 70% for Isellfar, 20% for Urddiath, and 35% for Oddanwar (due to Oddanwar being learned by human traders and residents of Aeddial).
That is roughly about all the background information I care to trudge up. If you have any questions, you can ask me, though it's pretty much typical fantasy fare, but without magic and supernatural creatures.
*The Anwarder are an attractive but somewhat barbaric race that typically live in the deserts, herding livestock. They tend to be tan with white-blond or white hair. They are proficient riders and fighters, as well as shepherds. They are relatively slender and not very physically strong, but are still seen as "less civilized" by the human population, due to some of their violent and unsettling customs (such as cannibalistic funerals).
**The Wermaen monks are a holy order that exist to uphold the virtues of patience and balance. They are typically trained martially in an unarmed style that only the monks know, though they would much rather diplomatically handle a situation than beat it to death. They are unlikely to be seen outside of the monastery unless there is something direly amiss outside of Minydsail.
~~~
Well, that is that. Oh, here's a disclaimer. You won't be fighting dragons or zombies or anything... this is a political adventure that should emphasize role playing and character development. Combat will play a part, but hey. This isn't Dungeons and Dragons 4e. Before I start anything off, I would like hopeful players to submit a post detailing their character and his/her background and anything else you deem relevant. If you really need the hint, it's safe to say you'll probably end up in the service of a lord at least temporarily, so that might give you some idea as to what to expect. Once I have accepted enough people and found everything to be acceptable, then we can begin!
Oh, wait. One more thing - I couldn't find a place to slip this in, but the kingdom will probably be called Tirswyn? But I couldn't find a name that really truly satisfied me, so that's tentative I guess... so yeah!
Far in the future, in a land distant, there lies a kingdom... a nation in which a paranoid monarch sits on a silver throne, in which lords perpetually find themselves locked in political contests, and in which magic is dead - a lost art and a mere legend. A once powerful domain has been worn thin, guided by an entropy that has saturated itself into all of its institutions and people. The king struggles to hold his land together while rooting out rebels and those men of power who would plot against him, whether they be real or imaginary. Whispers are shared in the lords' halls, cryptic murmurs sowing seeds of revolution. What they do not realize is that revolution would mean the death of this nation and its people...
The land in which this kingdom lies is not a particularly friendly one. The majority of the landmass consists of plains and desert, with rivers and bodies of water typically found long distances apart, though they are close enough to reasonably justify settlement. A mountain range acts as a natural wall, lying along the entire north border of the kingdom. To the west lies a sister nation which has long since collapsed and is currently undergoing reformation, so it is not uncommon for refugees to cross the western border and enter this kingdom (commonly known as the Eastern Wastes in other countries, though this is a slight exaggeration). In the remaining directions, there lies only sea. All exploration attempts to the east have ceased, as every ship ever sent out in that direction has been lost. To the south, there are multiple island chains, though these only seem to house natives deemed "savage" by those more civilized.
As for settlements within the nation, there are few large, established cities. Near the center of the country lies the capitol city, Hudllerion. Hudllerion is the center of commerce and also houses the king's castle, though it has become more of a symbol than a fortress as of late. The rest of the kingdom consists of small counties that are constantly changing in size and population due to political conquests of the residing lords. However, there are three recognizable and reputed cities that are worth noting - Aeddial, shortly east of the capitol, surrounded by desert and known for being tolerant of a significant non-human population, that of the Anwarder*; Minydsail, a popular spiritual haven at the base of a large mountain in the north, containing a very large monastery housing the Wermaen monks**; and Cyrtiur, a city of craftsmen, musicians, and orators. Aside from these, the rest of the major settlements in the Eastern Wastes are typically just super-developed villages, not really resembling a city, with wooden gated walls and crude trenches surrounding as a means of deterrent. They typically have a village center where a hall would lie if a lord resided there. The population typically lives in relative poverty, with common merchants and craftsmen being the wealthiest out of the lower class. Aristocrats and nobles tend to live comfortably, though not necessarily extravagantly, with lords (obviously) having the most wealth.
The national language is Isellfar, much derived from the language of the ancients (whose ruins still lie, standing tall on the plains or in the flat expanses of desert), Urddiath. The Anwarder typically speak Isellfar, though most can speak and write their racial tongue, Oddanwar. The scripts for Isellfar and Urddiath resemble runes with many curved lines, while Oddanwar boasts a rigid and very linear writing system somewhat similar to some Asiatic systems. Literacy rates are roughly 70% for Isellfar, 20% for Urddiath, and 35% for Oddanwar (due to Oddanwar being learned by human traders and residents of Aeddial).
That is roughly about all the background information I care to trudge up. If you have any questions, you can ask me, though it's pretty much typical fantasy fare, but without magic and supernatural creatures.
*The Anwarder are an attractive but somewhat barbaric race that typically live in the deserts, herding livestock. They tend to be tan with white-blond or white hair. They are proficient riders and fighters, as well as shepherds. They are relatively slender and not very physically strong, but are still seen as "less civilized" by the human population, due to some of their violent and unsettling customs (such as cannibalistic funerals).
**The Wermaen monks are a holy order that exist to uphold the virtues of patience and balance. They are typically trained martially in an unarmed style that only the monks know, though they would much rather diplomatically handle a situation than beat it to death. They are unlikely to be seen outside of the monastery unless there is something direly amiss outside of Minydsail.
~~~
Well, that is that. Oh, here's a disclaimer. You won't be fighting dragons or zombies or anything... this is a political adventure that should emphasize role playing and character development. Combat will play a part, but hey. This isn't Dungeons and Dragons 4e. Before I start anything off, I would like hopeful players to submit a post detailing their character and his/her background and anything else you deem relevant. If you really need the hint, it's safe to say you'll probably end up in the service of a lord at least temporarily, so that might give you some idea as to what to expect. Once I have accepted enough people and found everything to be acceptable, then we can begin!
Oh, wait. One more thing - I couldn't find a place to slip this in, but the kingdom will probably be called Tirswyn? But I couldn't find a name that really truly satisfied me, so that's tentative I guess... so yeah!
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